'Yash Chopra will live forever in Kashmir'

Late filmmaker Yash Chopra was planning a long vacation in Kashmir after the release of his last directorial venture "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" and people who have known him believe that his persona will continue to live in the lakes, mountains and meadows in the Valley.

Yash Chopra died Sunday following multiple organ failure and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that in the filmmaker's death, the Valley has lost a great friend.

Nazir Bakshi, the chairman of Shiraz Travels here, has known Yash Chopra for over 40 years.

Bakshi had arranged Yash Chopra's last shoot in Kashmir for "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" starring Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif.

"When I dropped him at the Srinagar airport after the completion of his shooting schedule in Kashmir on Sep 8 this year, I asked him, 'Phir kab mileingay?' He said, 'Inshallah, after the film's release. I am coming to Kashmir for a long holiday'," he said.

Bakshi also made all the arrangements for the filmmaker's unit during the shoot of his famous love triangle "Kabhi Kabhie".

"I have known Yashji since 1964 and even in times when Bollywood did not come to Kashmir for outdoor shooting, I would go and see him on the sets of his movies in Mumbai.

"He loved Kashmir, every inch of its lakes, mountains and meadows. I am sure his deep attachment with Kashmir will live forever. The person might be gone, but his persona will live forever," Bakshi said.

Bakshi remembered Yash Chopra as an essentially down-to-earth person.

"With his beautiful mind and heart, Yash loved everything that was beautiful and this was the basis for his enormous love for Kashmir," he said.

Yash Chopra's movies "Silsila", "Kabhi Kabhie" "Veer Zaara", "Dil To Pagal Hai" and others had a huge fan following in Kashmiris.

"We will always miss the magic of King of Romance of Bollywood. What is unique with his films is that every loving person believes he is narrating his or her story. His death has been sad news for every loving heart," said Zahoor Wani, 45, a resident of north Kashmir's Ganderbal district who went to see the shooting of "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" in Pahalgam hill station in September.

Yash Chopra spent over two months with his "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" unit in the Valley and the Ladakh region of the state.

The film is scheduled for a Diwali release.